Organic Meat - where to get at lowest cost?

Sarahsaver

Go out and shoot something, pigeons are nice;)

[Deleted User]

depends how much value you put on your health howlash. There are people on here who don`t need to get out of debt but who do like to spend their money wisely

Alechjo

I try to keep my family food 95-100% organic. The main problem with meet from supermarkets for us is not cost, but that it is very difficult to buy it fresh, it seems to be old. Maybe it spends much time in delivery, or on shelves, maybe it is taken from old animals? We tried Farmers market recently, but prices are the same as at the supermarket and almost everything was sold in the early morning, so would have to go early on a Saturday, which is painful :mad:

I hope that in future the demand for organic food would increase, and more people would believe that it's not just to make us pay more, but to produce healthier food and be good to the environment. By now I am afraid the only way to find something is to do much research in the local area. Small shops may be good, they usually buy direct from farmers.

gritts

Debt_Free_Chick wrote:

Actually, products can only be labelled Organic if they DO have Soil Association approval. If not approved, they can't be labelled Organic.

However, it is possible to buy food raised using organic methods, but not labelled Organic as the producer has not applied for the SA accreditation. Free-range, naturally reared, traditionally produced .... can all mean "to organic standards" - you need to talk to the producer/retailer to find out what they mean.
Regards

Hi Debt free chick,

There are around 10 UK certification bodies that control organic standards.

http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/organic/certbodies/approved.htm

The Soil Associaition is one of them (UK5). Organic produce can be labelled as such without The Soil Association symbol. This obviously applies to produce from other countries who would have there own accreditation system.

My point is that I think The Soil Association apply the strictest welfare standards of all the governing bodies. If meat has their symbol on then you should be happy the meat was raised very well.

Apart from that I agree with all you say.....

tr3mor

Sarahsaver wrote:

Go out and shoot something, pigeons are nice;)

All the pigeons around here are raised on kebab meat and vomit

HappySad

I agree with everyone in that Organic meat is very expensive. Because of the better animal welfare (is this true? please comment) and the use of less or no chemicals in the production I will be moving organic.

To counter the large costs of the meat I will only now eat red meat twice a week and chicken once a week. Then its fish twice and veggy meals (tofu, lentils, etc) for the other two pays. I can then afford the organic meat.

I know they are all expensive but I am looking at quality at a low price. If they are all organic what is the difference in paying more for your meat? Please advice me..Gritts you seem to have some ideas in this area.

HappySad

gritts wrote:

Quite possibly. Just like chicken with the word 'saver' on it might mean 'tasteless pap, raised under highly dubious conditions'.

In most cases with meat you get what you pay for.

Plus this is "Money Saving Expert" and most of us hopefully save money to probably spend it on something else or use in another way- i could be wrong.

The original poster was looking for the 'cheapest'.

Thanks for your comments Gritts. I am looking for quaility at the lowest price. May be a contradiction. Is all organic food the same? Are some members of Soil association? Should I look for food that is soil associated because that is a highest standard. I am looking for quality then once found see who sells it at the lowest price.

I feel that when you eat animals that are cooped up and under stress all their lives it cannot be good to eat the meat from such an animal. I saw a program over Christmas about the condition that free range turkeys lived in and they looked like there were already dead but walking around. Then they showed the kind of turkey that the Queen and the like could afford to buy and they looked like the normal turkey that you see & imagine with all their coloured feathers and doing normal turkey things.

I do want to go all organic but want to keep the cost down.

Also when a farmer describes how nice his farm is and how well his animals are being looked after then the proof is in seeing it yourself. A farmer is not going to say... "Yes my animals are under so much stress that they eat each other and pluck off their feathers because they have nothing to do all day". so I would rather get a stamp from an organisation saying that they meet hight welfare standards.

Thanks

HappySad

Alechjo wrote:

I try to keep my family food 95-100% organic. The main problem with meet from supermarkets for us is not cost, but that it is very difficult to buy it fresh, it seems to be old. Maybe it spends much time in delivery, or on shelves, maybe it is taken from old animals? We tried Farmers market recently, but prices are the same as at the supermarket and almost everything was sold in the early morning, so would have to go early on a Saturday, which is painful :mad:

I hope that in future the demand for organic food would increase, and more people would believe that it's not just to make us pay more, but to produce healthier food and be good to the environment. By now I am afraid the only way to find something is to do much research in the local area. Small shops may be good, they usually buy direct from farmers.

Thanks for your information. How can you tell that the meat is "old"???

I will have a look at my local farmers market and ask around for local butchers.

I am too working to go as organic as I can because of all the chemicals and with meat the welfare. Never thought about it until my son was board and I made all his weaning food organic and bought as much organic for him as I could. Then stumbled on a money saving book about SAving the Planet and money at the same time... this started the ball rolling for me to go organic. One food scare after another all points to our intensive farming methods.. you can't protect your family completely from all the various chemicals ect use everywhere but you can reduce it within your own abilities & budget.

I also find that saving money buy bulk buying when on offer and cooking more meals from scratch means that I am more and more able to afford the added costs of organic foods.

Sarahsaver

Better meat will have been hung for longer, so it will be 'old'
Read Hugh FW's meat book, you will learn a lot from that.
As for my comment about shooting pigeons I mean woodpigeon, not the city rats with wings. If you really cannot afford organic meat then don't bust a gut trying to afford it, but stuff you catch has the advantage of being free!

Frugal_Fox

howalsh wrote:

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isnt "organic" just another word for "expensive", & isnt this "Money Saving Expert"?

Organic can mean expensive - but also much much nicer!

I'm a Debt Free Wannabe - but I have standards too. I got myself into money problems, and I'm going to get myself out. I feed a family of four - including a large dog and three cats on predominately organic produce with a monthly budget of £240.

My fruit and veg come from an organic box scheme, my meat comes from my local butcher, and whilst isn't always organic, it isn't battery reared either.

The rest of my shopping I do via Ocado - and whilst some prices may be more expensive, because I shop fortnightly and my order is always over £75, I never pay for delivery. Because I do not have to go to my local supermarket, I am not tempted by other things, nor do I need to run a car.

This is my way of money saving, and whilst it probably isn't everyones doing my food shopping in this way has saved me over £30 each week - which over a year adds up to £1560 - so yes I do call that money saving